The New York Yankees have won 19 games with only nine defeats since the calendar flipped from April to May, surging to a 6 1/2 game lead in the American League East and, at 37-22, the second-best record in baseball behind only the Detroit Tigers.
A big part of the Yankees’ rise has been the decision by manager Aaron Boone to yank offseason acquisition Devin Williams out of the closer’s role, replacing him with Luke Weaver. The 31-year-old journeyman Weaver, playing for his sixth team, seemed to find himself when he took over the closer’s role down the stretch last year.
Journeyman Righty Finds His Identity as Closer
Taking over the role in September, the lefty converted all four of his save chances and got the win in three other appearances, before recording four more saves, with a win and a loss, in the Yankees postseason run.
Since being reinstated as closer after Williams’ titanic struggles with the job, Weaver cruised to six saves in seven chances in the course of a month.
But during his warmups to come in on Sunday night in Los Angeles, in what turned out to be the Yankees series-salvaging 7-3 win over the Dodgers, Weaver felt a “twinge” in the hamstring muscle of his left leg.
“Simply stepped off the back of the mound and just kind of got into a little bit of a hamstring stretch and just felt a little bit of an abnormal feeling,” Weaver said on Tuesday, as quoted by the Associated Press. “A little alarming.”
The result: on Tuesday the Yankees placed their closer on the 15-day injured list. According to an MLB.com report, “Weaver could miss four to six weeks, consistent with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.”
Team Shuts Down Weaver’s Plan For Brief IL Stint
But Weaver does not want to miss four to six weeks, and has told the team so, according to the MLB.com report. The Yankees, however, are not having it.
“Weaver told (manager) Aaron Boone he wants to be back in the minimum 15 days. That won’t happen,” MLB.com Yankees correspondent Bryan Hoch wrote. Boone (and Weaver) declined to give a time frame or a grade on the hamstring strain. Boone indicated a PRP injection could happen soon.”
A PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, injection is a treatment that uses a patient’s own blood, isolating the platelets which, according to the Cleveland Clinic, “contain special proteins called growth factors that have healing properties.”
The plasma containing the isolated platelets is then injected back into the patient’s injured area, with the purpose of speeding the recovery process.
“This isn’t about stubbornness or ego. It’s about a pitcher who doesn’t want to leave his teammates hanging. Weaver’s reaction mirrors the mindset of players like Jazz Chisholm Jr., whose urgency to return often reflects deep commitment,” wrote Andres Chavez of Empire Sports Media in a report on the team’s decision to shut down Weaver’s demand. “However, no amount of willpower can outpace a significant hamstring strain. Soft tissue injuries don’t negotiate — they demand recovery time.”
The Sunday night win over Los Angeles was costly for the Yankees. Not only did they lose Weaver, but rookie outfielder Jasson Dominguez — the organization’s No. 1 prospect as of last season — was also injured, hurting his thumb on a steal of second base in the fifth inning.
Yankees Bad News as Team Shuts Down Injured Closer’s Demand For Short IL Stint